Would that kind of “creative” accounting not be illegal? If so, could the Players Association not file some sort of lawsuit that would force them to open their books?HopJim, I concur with your assessment regarding the optics and messaging - both sides need to do a better job messaging to the public.
That said, I am skeptical on the position that any of the teams are losing money. As a semi-retired auditor (second career), I have seen a lot of financial statements. Income statements, statements of net cost and cash flow statements can be structured to present a "losing money" posture in order to legally avoid paying taxes (and for other legitimate objectives). Just like statements of net worth can be presented to show increased or decreased levels of present and future value to affect equity loans and sales of teams.
Without being privy to the financial records of the league in general and teams in specific, I suspect the central issue is about how much revenue will be going to the players vice repaying loans from owners' equity group LLCs, and when (pre-tax or post-tax) the players receive their increased cut.
Bottom line is that the WNBA is in a growth period and the projections forward indicate that the growth will continue (as evidenced by the decisions to bring in new teams into new markets).
I think the Commissioner's Office understands that there is a way forward where all parties involved will share in the increased benefits of the growth. However, representing all thirteen current owners groups - as well as the owners groups for the expansion teams - could be a daunting task.
Which brings me back to your very salient point - negative marketing does little to help this situation.
I am also not a fan of the carnival atmosphere of the WNBA All-star game. Like others, I switched the channel after the first quarter.![]()
yes, the 4-point shot may have been fun for some of the players for me it sucked. I will throw in the game as well, a total waste of time. Watching a UConn practice video is much more exciting and fun.It's a joke, and disgrace to the game - same for the All-Star Game play! Might as well just televise a shoot around!
The increase in viewership compared to 2023 for both the skills competitions and the game says it all. The vibe in Indianapolis looks like it was off the charts and some writers noticed an uptick in male fans being in attendance and interested in the WNBA. It's obviously drawing in fans that hadn't watched before, which is what the WNBA wants. Happy it was a successful event, especially with Clark being out as I assumed it would be a detraction.Absolutely. Just pointing out to some of the ALL CAPS HATING THE GAME people that the viewership overall was over 4x that of previous games.
And for people who are used to the NBA all star games, it's really not any different. Again, I get that some people didn't like it. Then don't watch. And some didn't. But a LOT more did. And overall, the players loved it, had a great weekend, were treated well, and the game was a big hit on TV.
Skylar Diggins and her 15 assists may want to challenge this assessment.players these days barely pass the ball as it is.........add the four point shot and we'll likely see a maximum of two or three passes on every possession.......a big NO from yours truly.....!!!![]()
there was zero defense being played.......you would have gotten five assists......Skylar Diggins and her 15 assists may want to challenge this assessment.![]()
Hey........the statement was that there would be no passing. No one said anything about defence.there was zero defense being played.......you would have gotten five assists......![]()